Good Recipe for leftover Fennel...

If anyone has any leftover fennel from their holiday celebrations, this is a great recipe to give it a new twist. And, if you don't like fennel for the 'licorice' taste, you might give this a try since cooking it makes the taste *a lot* milder.

Baked Fennel with Gorgonzola
Makes 8 servings.
Printed from Allrecipes.com

4 bulbs fennel, untrimmed
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
4 ounces Gorgonzola cheese
2 tablespoons dried bread crumbs
salt to taste


Directions
1) Rinse fennel. Trim off stems, and reserve about 1 cup of the tender green leaves. Trim any bruises or dry looking areas from fennel. Cut each bulb in half from stem through root end.
2) Lay fennel bulb pieces in a 10 inch frying pan, and add broth. Cover, and bring to a boil on high heat. Simmer until fennel is tender when pierced, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer fennel to a shallow casserole, 9 to 10 inched wide; lay cut side up.
3) Boil broth, uncovered, on high heat until reduced to about 1/2 cup. Stir in about half the fennel leaves. Spoon mixture evenly over fennel.
4) Mash cheese with bread crumbs. Dot mixture evenly over fennel. If making ahead, cover and chill up to 1 day.

Also wrap remaining fennel leaves in a towel, seal in a plastic bag, and chill.
5) Bake casserole, uncovered, at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) until cheese begins to brown and fennel is hot, about 20 minutes. Tuck remaining leaves around fennel. Season to taste with salt (not necessary if you use seasoned breadcrumbs).

Serve hot...Enjoy!!

Re: Good Recipe for leftover Fennel...

I am so curious.. what the heck is Fennel??

Re: Good Recipe for leftover Fennel...

Thanks, Claud-I looooove fennel (almost as much as I love gorgonzola)!

mims-this is fennel:

Re: Good Recipe for leftover Fennel...

so...its a vegetable? What's it like? any descriptions? Or is it one of those things that tastes like.. well, nothing but fennel?

Re: Good Recipe for leftover Fennel...

mims - I pulled a definition of fennel off of FoodTV.com for you...hope this helps take the mystery out of fennel for you:

Definition: [FEHN-uhl] There are two main types of this aromatic plant, both with pale green, celerylike stems and bright green, feathery foliage. Florence fennel, also called finocchio, is cultivated throughout the Mediterranean and in the United States. It has a broad, bulbous base that's treated like a vegetable. Both the base and stems can be eaten raw in salads or cooked in a variety of methods such as braising, sautéing or in soups. The fragrant, graceful greenery can be used as a garnish or snipped like dill and used for a last-minute flavor enhancer. This type of fennel is often mislabeled 'sweet anise,' causing those who don't like the flavor of licorice to avoid it. The flavor of fennel, however, is sweeter and more delicate than anise and, when cooked, becomes even lighter and more elusive than in its raw state. Common fennel is the variety from which the oval, greenish-brown fennel seeds come. The seeds are available whole and ground and are used in both sweet and savory foods, as well as to flavor many liqueurs. As with most seeds, they should be stored in a cool, dark place for no more than 6 months. Though common fennel is bulbless, its stems and greenery are used in the same ways as those of Florence fennel. Fennel is available from fall through spring. Choose clean, crisp bulbs with no sign of browning. Any attached greenery should be a fresh green color. Refrigerate, tightly wrapped in a plastic bag, up to 5 days. Fennel is rich in vitamin A and contains a fair amount of calcium, phosphorus and potassium.

Re: Good Recipe for leftover Fennel...

i love fennel. in italian we call it 'finocchio' or in my dialect 'la sponya' ....every time we eat it, people like DH who didnt grow up italian , looks at us like 'what are they eating now ??' LOLL

Re: Good Recipe for leftover Fennel...

The first time I ate fennel was on Xmas eve, FMIL bought out a big bowl - she said it aides in digestion after eating a huge meal. It was pretty good to just nibble on.